Chandrababu complains about 'faulty' EVMs

New Delhi, April 13: A day after accusing the
Election Commission (EC) of making the election
process a "big farce", Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met the poll body
officials in Delhi to complain about the
malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
during polling in the state on Thursday.
After meeting the EC officials, the TDP chief
accused the government of using the Election
Commission as its puppet and interfering through it.
"We have complained against EVMs earlier also. EC is
an autonomous body but they are working at the
instructions of Modi," Naidu was quoted as saying by
ANI.
He further said the transfers of officers in Andhra
Pradesh was unjustified.
He also demanded that the Election Commission should
revert to the system of ballot papers and stop the
use of electronic voting machines in polls.
"We demand the Election Commission of India for
reverting to paper ballot system immediately to
preserve the sanctity and protect the spirit of
electoral process and democracy respectively," said
Naidu emerging from the poll body's office in New
Delhi.
After the polling was marred by the malfunctioning
of some EVMs, Naidu blasted the Election Commission
(EC) for what he called "turning the elections into
a big farce".
Addressing a press conference a day after polling
for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats was
completed, the Chief Minister on Friday spit fire on
the Election Commission over the manner in which the
election process was conducted, alleging that 30-40
per cent Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs in the
state either malfunctioned or did not function.
"This is a very big farce. Disaster for the nation.
I can say it is a big confusion, big mess, big
farce," Naidu said in a restless tone.
He claimed that as per "official information" 4,583
EVMs got stuck in the state and noted that it was a
"major crisis."
He also found fault with the Deputy Election
Commissioner's clarification that there was no
problem with the EVMs in Andhra Pradesh.
"I have never seen such an insensitive, unrealistic,
irresponsible and useless Election Commission. Do
you make a mockery of democracy? EC turned into BJP
branch office," the TDP chief said.
The TDP president also alleged that the general
elections in Andhra Pradesh were scheduled in the
first phase in one go only to "leave me no time."